This invention pertains to snap-on handle structures which may be easily positioned on an operating shaft and removably retained thereon without the use of fastening devices, such as a set screw.
There are many devices including a rotatable handle and frequently the handle is separable from an operating shaft and is attached thereto with a set screw carried by the handle. This type of structure is commonly found in hardware used with casement and awning-type windows whereby rotational motion generated by the handle is used for opening and closing of the windows. The use of a set screw has several deficiencies including the frequent need to tighten the set screw when it works loose, the possible marring of the handle finish when using a tool to tighten the set screw, and the additional manufacturing operations required in machining the handle to receive the set screw as well as the additional installation time.
It is also known to attach a separable handle to an operating shaft by means of a retention device, such as a spring, which will engage in a detent opening in the operating shaft or be positioned to bite into the material of the mounting shaft for locking the handle to the operating shaft. Such structures result in attachment of the handle to the operating shaft in a manner which only permits destruction of the parts if it ever becomes necessary to remove the handle from the operating shaft.